 April 1, 2010 -- You want to believe. I want to believe. From a region of sports fans who have been treated to a flurry of success in various leagues for the past decade, our only complaint that carries credence is our faithful allegiance to the Boston Bruins.
As 37 Stanley Cups have come and passed since Bobby Orr and Gerry Cheevers led Boston to a 4-2 series win over the New York Rangers in 1972, an engraver hasn't even come close to accidentally etching the B's name. Bruins fans have not gone without a excitement during that time span, as the black and gold have reached the Cup five times, losing each, two by way of sweep.
The pain on many levels mirrors that of the Boston Red Sox franchise pre-2004: lengthy gap between championships, painful Buckner-esque moments like 1979's Stanley Cup Game 7 too many men on the ice or the infamous power failure in the 1988 Series versus the Edmonton Oilers. The duration may not be as lengthy but the correlation between the two franchises is spot on when trying to understand the heartache fans have endured over the years.
So as B's fans begin to approach yet another playoff appearance, history speaks wisely by warning you not to get your hopes up; the 2009-2010 Boston Bruins are not winning the Stanley Cup. And yet come Monday morning, optimism could be running rampant through North End coffee shops and bakeries alike.
Currently in a three-way tie for six-place with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Bruins have six games left with the Flyers and Canadiens having five. With two games against non-playoff opponents this week (Thursday vs. Florida, Saturday, Toronto) combined with the difficult schedules of the Habs (Philly and Buffalo) and the Flyers (NYI, Montreal, Detroit) B's could and should be in sixth-place come Monday morning.
Add to that the good vibes of the Sox Opening Day and Easter weekend, Boston fans may get caught up in a sense of spring fever and optimism that is characteristic of a New England April. The dreadful thought of the Bruins matching up against the juggernauts that are the Washing ton Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round will be replaced by the potential of upsetting a Buffalo Sabres unit that the Bruins have had success against this season (3-2-0 in 5 matchups- one remaining).
The Sports Hub and WEEI will be littered with talk of riding a hot goaltender (Tuuka Rask) deep into the playoffs and Patrice Bergeron "turning it on at the right time". But to get swept up in such a frenzy would ignore the larger problems of a team that has been too banged up to find a groove, can't consistently put the puck in the net and quite frankly, does not have enough talent. David Krejci is too young, Marco Sturm doesn't have enough and Mark Recchi isn't 24, he's 42.
So the streak will continue, 38 championships since Boston brought home the Cup and another season gone by the wayside. My advice, enjoy each game the Bruins stay in and continue to fight. Enjoy Tuuka Rask because he should be good for a while. And hope this year's draft will be as good as advertised. But come this April, if you are thinking anything but a first-or-second round playoff exit (at best), the jokes on you.
|
